Football indicator



A ril 16, 1929. w. A. SCHUTT v FOOTBALL INDICATOR Filed Oct. 18, 1926 E R IIIIIIIWNNJI lllllllkRlI Illl Q-Fv-ORNEY Patented Apr. 16, 1929.

WILLIAM A. SOHUTI, OF LITQHFIELI), ILLINOIS.

FOOTBALL INDICATOR.

\ Application filed October 18, 1925. Serial No. 142,456.

This invention relates generally to football paraphernalia and, more. particularly, to a certain new and useful improvement in devices especially adapted for visually desighating or indicating the particular down in a fourrclown gainperiod of football of Rugby type.

The game of Rugby football is usually played upon a held of certain dimensions divided between the opposite goals by surface lines or markings into spaces of five yards each, and the particular side or team having the ball must, accordii'ig to the prescribed rules of the game, make a total gain toward the goal of the other side or team of ten yards on each four successive so-called downs or suffer the penalty of losing the ball. It is, accordingly, very desirable, if not important, both to the players, officials, and the interested spectators that record be promptly made, and they be informed, of the particular down in the so-calledfour-down period. The object of my present invention is hence to provide, as a new article of manufacture, a simple, inexpensive, and durable device for the purpose, which may be readily portably shifted with and as the players move up or down on the field, which may be conveniently engaged with and on the field in self-supporting upstanding position at the proper location, and which may with facility be manipulated. to visually indicate both to the players, oflicials, and spectators, when viewed from either up or down. the field, the particular down of the set or period.

And with the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel featurcs of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter described and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a fragmental perspective view of a Rugby football playing-field equipped with a down indicator of my invention;

Figure 2 is an elevational, partly broken, view of the indicator; and

Figure 3 is a fragmental reduced perspective View of the indicator as when being manipulated to indicate the particular down of a set or period.

Referring now more in detail and by reference characters to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my indicator, my new football down indicator A includes a standard conun'ising' a post 1 of suitable height and material, preferably reduced and pointed or sharpened at its lower end, as at 2, for convenient removal engagement with the playing-ground B for self-supporting the standard in upstanding position. Suitably welded or otherwise rigidly fixed at its cross-piece or bight 3 upon the upper end of post 1, is a substantially U-shaped frame whose legs l, t, are presented upwardly. Disposed between, and suitably supportingly secured, as by screws 5, to the legs 1, 4, at their upper end, is a cross-piece or gripping-handle 6. y

Adjacent its opposite ends the handle 6 is preferably eircnmferentially grooved, as

at 7, and loosely disposed on the handle 6 at its grooves 7, are rings 8, 8. 1

Of relatively reduced size to fit loosely within, and forswingable movement through, said frame, is a plurality of plates 9, preferably four in number and similar in form and structure, except for the down indicating symbols or numbers carried thereby, as will shortly appear, each of said plates being formed at its upper margin with a. pair of projecting cars 10 having slot-ted openings, as at 11, whereby the plates 9 are adapted to accoi'nmodate, and for support relatively to the standard by, the rings 8.

Disposed upon the opposite side faces of the several respective plates or members 9, are suitable symbols 12, such as the numerals 1 to 4, inclusive, respectively, said numerals being so reversely disposed upon the plates in consecutive order or arrangement that the same down indicating symbol will be visually exposed as the indicator is viewed from either side.

Hence, in use and practice, and, for instance, in the beginning of a particular fourdown period, or set, the indicator is disposed in self-standing position upon the field B at the proper location from which, according to the prescribed rules of the game, the necessary gain towards the opposing teains goal must be made in such period or set by the particular team to retain possession of the ball, the several plates 9 being manipulated to expose on opposite sides of the standard and both to the players, oflicials, and the spectators the nu meral 1. The indicator thereby is designed to, and does, inform the players and spectators that, of such particular four-down period or set, this is the first down. Play being had and the players having advanced,

c 7 spective outer plate 9 being swingably manipulated from one side of the standard to the other as illustrated in Figure. 3, so that the two then outer plates of the set shall then visually expose on opposite sides of the standard the numeral 2, the indicator thereby similarly informing the players, oliicials, and spectators that such succeeding down is the second down of the period or set, and so on throughout the game, respective plates 9, after each four-down period or set, again visually exposing to View the first numeral 1.

My new indicator is of simple, inexpensive,

and'durable structure, may be conveniently shifted from location to locationand manipulated throughout the game, and is exceedingly efficient in the performance of its intended functions.

I- am aware that changes in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of my new indicator may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and spirit of invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s:

As a new article of manufacture, a portable indicator for use in football games, the same including a rigid standard comprising a post pointed at its lower end, a rigid U-shaped frame fixed centrally at its bight to the upper end of the post, the legs of the frame being presented upwardly, a gripping-handle extending transversely of and between and lixed at its opposite ends to the upper ends of said legs, the handle being circumferentially grooved adjacent its opposite ends and the standard being adapted at its post for removable upstanding self-sup 'iorting engagement with the playing-field, rings loosely disposed in the grooves of the gripping-handle, and a plurality of plates each having spated apertured cars at an end and loosely engaging at said ears with the rings to swingably depend within the fran'ie, said plates bearin r upon their opposite successive faces down indicating symbols in reversely disposed consecutive arrangement and being adapted for swingable manipulation relatively to the rings and frame and about the grippin -handle as an axis, whereby the plates are a apted to visually expose the same symbol on opposite sides of the standard, the gripping-handle also being adapted to function as a carrying member in transporting the indicator from place to place, on the playing-field, and as a pressure-receiving member in removably upstanding the indicator in the ground.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

WILLIAM A. SCHUTT. 

